Electric governor



April 19, 1949. H. E. CARNAGUA ELECTRIC GOVERNOR Filed Dec. 16, 1943 Patented Apr. 19, 1949 ELECTRIC GOVERNOR Harold E. Carnagua, Muncie, Ind., assignor to Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 16, 1943, Serial No. 514,465

15 Claims.

My invention relates to electric governors, that is, to speed responsive devices for making or breaking electric circuits at predetermined speeds of rotatable members associated with the devices.

Electric governors comprising weights or flyballs which are pivotally mounted with respect to a driven shaft have heretofore been used. The weights of such a governor, when the shaft is rotated, move outwardly under the action of centrifugal force, and an electric switch is provided which is actuated on a predetermined outward movement of the weights. The centrifugal force actin on the weights and thereby the outward movement of the weights are dependent on the speed of the shaft, and the switch is thus actuated at a predetermined speed of the shaft.

Governors of the flyball type are quite expensive to construct. It is accordingly an object of my invention to provide an electric governor which may be economically manufactured and which is simple in construction in comparison with flyball governors.

More particularly it is an object of my invention to provide an. electric governor in which an electric circuit is completed due to the action of centrifugal force. on a body of mercury, which force is due to and varies with the speed of a driven element of the governor. Still more particularly it is an object to provide an electric governor in which the mercury acted on by centrifugal" force itself completes an electric circuit whereby current may flow through the mercury when the speed of rotation of a driven element of the governor. reaches a predetermined value.

The invention consists of the novel constructions, arrangements and devices to be hereinafter describedv andv claimed for carryin out the above stated objects and such other objects as will appear from a detailed description of certain preferred embodiments illustrated in the accompanying, drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1' is, a. longitudinal sectional view of an electric governor embodying the principles of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of my invention; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fi 2.

Like characters. of reference designate like parts inv the several views.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the electric. governor illustrated comprises a governor housing 20 having journalled therein a shaft 2|. The housing 20 comprises parts 20a and 20b betweenv which. disposed one end of a cormgated, generally cylindrical, sheet metal member 22, and the parts 20a and 201) function to fix that end of the member 22 with respect to the housing 29. The corrugated member 22 has fixed on its opposite end a circular plate 23 of electric insulating material which closes that end of the member 22 and provides a chamber 24 inside the corrugated member 22 The shaft 2I has fixed thereto an impeller 25 provided with blades 25. The impeller 25 is disposed such that it functions to complete the chamber 24 and such that the blades 26 are inside the chamber 24. A body of mercury 21 is provided in the chamber 24, and the blades 26 and the spaces between the blades are of such form that the mercury 27 on rotation of the shaft 2| is driven by centrifugal force against the inner wall of the corrugated member 22 and against the inner side of the plate 23. The force of the mercury on the member 22 and on the plate 23 causes the member 22 to expand longitudinally and the plate 23 to move toward the left as seen in Fig. 1.

The plate 23 has fixed therein a metal ring 28, as shown. A pair of terminals 29 and 39 extends through and is insulated from the housin 29, and contact arms 3I and 32 are connected with the terminals as shown. On rotation of the shaft M, the mercury 27 is given centrifugal energy by the blades 25 to move the plate 23 axially with respect to the shaft 2i as has been hereinabove described; and when the speed of the shaft 2I has increased to a predetermined value, the ring 28 in the plate 23 moves into contact with the contact arms 3| and 32 to complete an electric circuit between the terminals 28 and 29. The electric governor illustrated in this figure thus constitutes a speed responsive device for completing an electric circuit between the terminals 29 and 30 when the speed of the actuating shaft 2I reaches a predetermined value.

The modified governor construction disclosed in Figs. 2 and 3 comprises a governor housing I and a shaft I96 journalled in the housing, The shaft I96 is provided with a flange I91 carrying a spiral member I98, which functions as a mercury" scoop as will be hereinafter described. Housing members I99 and 209 are fixed to rotate with the flange I91, and the flange and housing members together form a chamber 20I for a body of mercury 292. The housing member 200, substantially at its center, is provided with a switch actuating member 203 slidably disposed in a suitable opening inthehousing member. The switchactuating member 203 is moved outwardly by the force of mercury acted on by the spiral member I98, as will be hereinafter described.

Two terminals 264 and 205 are carried by a portion I95a of the housing I95 which portion is of insulating material, and these terminals are connected with the two contact elements of a switch 206. The switch 266 comprises an actuating element 28] mounted on a resilient arm 208 Which normally biases the element 201 to a position wherein the switch 206 is opened. Said element 201, when moved to the left as seen in Fig. 2, functions to complete an electric circuit through the switch. The switch-actuating member 203 is adapted to act on the member 201, as is apparent from Fig. 2.

When the shaft I96 and thereby the spiral scoop member I98 are turned in the direction indicated in Fig. 3, mercury is scooped up by the member I98 and is moved toward the center of the scoop member. When the speed of rotation of the shaft I96 reaches a predetermined value, the pressure of the mercury 202 at the center of the element I98 is such that the switch-actuating member 203 is moved to the left as seen in Fig. 2 so as to close the switch 206. A circuit is thereby completed between the terminals 2% and 205.

In each of the embodiments of the invention above described, that part of the mercury chamber which is not occupied by mercury may con tain air, and satisfactory operation of the governor will be obtained. It has been found preferable, however, to provide a non-oxidizing agent in that part of each of the mercury chambers not occupied by mercury in order that, in operation of the governor, the mercury will not oxidize. The

mercury itself, any other fluid having substantial weight may be used. It will also be apparent that solid substances in finely divided form or in the form of balls may be used in lieu of the mercury.

The electric governors above described advantageously are quite simple in construction and comprise a minimum of parts, and the governors thus require a minimum of maintenance to keep them in service. The governors furthermore may be manufactured quite economically in comparison with ordinary flyball governors.

I wish it to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the arrangements and constructions shown and described, except only insofar as the claims may be so limited, as it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the principles of the invention.

I claim:

1. An electric governor comprising in combination, a rotatable shaft, housing means defining a closed chamber, mercury in said chamber, a pair of electric terminals, a mercury impeller element connected with said shaft, said element comprising a spiral member adapted on rotation of the element to scoop mercury from said chamber and impel it toward the center of the spiral member, a switch for electrically connecting said terminals on actuation thereof, and a switchactuating member at the center of said spiral.

member adapted to be moved by the pressure of mercury thereon to actuate said switch when the speed of rotation of said shaft reaches a predetermined value.

2. An electric governor comprising in combination, a rotatable shaft, housing means defining a closed chamber, mercury in said chamber, a pair of electric terminals, an-impeller element for said mercury and connected with said shaft and imparting centrifugal energy to the mercury with rotation of the shaft, said housing means comprising a corrugated walled member surrounding said impeller element and having an end movable axially with respect to said shaft due to the centrifugal force of the mercury on the Walls of the member, a pair of contacts connected with said terminals and adapted to be electrically connected by suchmovement of said end of the corrugated member when the speed of rotation of the shaft has reached a predetermined value.

3. An electric governor comprising, in combination, a rotatable shaft, housing means defining a closed chamber, material in said chamber comprising particles freely movable with respect to each other, a pair of electric contacts, means for impelling said material and thereby imparting energy thereto upon rotation of said shaft, said housing means having a portion which is movable by said material when the material is so impelled for thereby connecting said contacts electrically upon a predetermined speed of rotation of said shaft being attained.

4. An electric governor comprising, in combination, a rotatable shaft, housing means definin a closed chamber, liquid in said chamber, a pair of electric contacts, means connected with said shaft for impelling said liquid and thereby imparting energy thereto upon rotation of said shaft, said housing means having a wall portion which is movable by said liquid when so impelled to connect said contacts electrically upon a predetermined speed of rotation of said shaft being attained.

5. An electric governor comprising, in combination, a rotatable shaft, housing means defining a closed chamber, fluid in said chamber, a pair of electric contacts, a fluid impeller member in said chamber adapted on rotation of the shaft to impel the fluid toward the center of said member, and a movable member adjacent the center of said impeller member and adapted to be moved by the pressure of fluid thereon to electrically connect said contacts when the speed of rotation of said shaft reaches a predetermined value.

6. An electric governor, comprising in combination, a rotatable shaft, housing means defining a closed chamber, liquid in said chamber, a pair of electric terminals, a liquid impeller element connected with said shaft, said element comprising a spiral member adapted on rotation of the element to scoop liquid from said chamber and impel it toward the center of the spiral member, a switch for electrically connecting said terminals when said switch is closed, resilient means normally biasing said switch toward an open position, and a switch actuating member at the center of said spiral member and adapted to be moved by the pressure of liquid thereon to close said switch when the speed of rotation of said shaft reaches a predetermined value.

7. An electric governor comprising, in combination, a rotatable shaft, housing means defining a closed chamber, fluid in said chamber, a pair of electric contacts, an impeller element for said fluid for imparting energy to the fluid upon rotation of the shaft, said housing means comprising a corrugated walled member surrounding said impeller element and having a portion movable in response to the force of the fluid exerted on the walls of the member when said fluid is energized. said electric contacts being electrically connected by movement of said portion of the corrugated walled member into engagement therewith when the speed of rotation of the shaft has reached a predetermined value.

8. An electric governor comprising, in combination, a rotatable shaft, housing means defining a closed chamber, liquid in said chamber, a pair of electric terminals, 2. pair of contacts connected with said terminals, an impeller element for said liquid and connected with said shaft for imparting energy to the liquid upon rotation of the shaft, said housing means comprising a flexible corrugated walled member surrounding said impeller element and tending to position itself out of engagement with said contacts, said walled member having an end movable axially with respect to said shaft in response to the force of the liquid exerted on the walls of said member when said liquid is energized, said electric contacts being electrically connected by movement of said end of the corrugated member into engagement therewith when the speed of rotation of the shaft has reached a predetermined value.

9. An electric governor comprising, in combination, a rotatable shaft, housing means defining a closed chamber, mercury in said chamber, a pair of electric terminals, means for impelling said mercury and thereby imparting energy thereto with rotation of said shaft, said mercury impelling means being so constructed to impel said mercury inwardly toward the axis of said shaft on rotation of the shaft, and means for electrically connecting said terminals due to the energy given said mercury on a predetermined speed of rotation of said shaft.

10. A speed responsive switch comprising, in combination, a rotatable structure, housing means defining a closed chamber, a liquid in the chamber, a plurality of spaced electric terminals, means for impelling said liquid and thereby imparting energy thereto with rotation of said shaft, said liquid impelling means being so constructed to impel said liquid inwardly toward the axis of said shaft on rotation of the shaft, and means for electrically connecting said terminals due to the energy given said liquid on a predetermined speed of rotation of said shaft.

11. An electric governor comprising, in combination, a rotatable shaft, housing means defining a closed chamber, a substance in said chamber comprising particles freely movable with respect to each other, a plurality of electric terminals, means for impelling said substance and thereby imparting energy thereto with rotation of said shaft, said impelling means being so constructed to impel the particles inwardly toward the axis of said shaft on rotation of the shaft, and means for electrically connecting said terminals due to the energy given said substance on a predetermined speed of rotation of said shaft.

12. An electric governor comprising, in combination, a rotatable shaft, housing means defining a closed chamber, a substance in said chamber comprising particles freely movable with respect to each other, a plurality of electric terminals, means for impelling said substance and thereby imparting energy thereto with rotation of said shaft, said impelling means being so constructed to impel the particles inwardly toward the axis of said shaft on rotation of the shaft, means for electrically connecting said terminals due to the energy given said substance on a predetermined speed of rotation of said shaft, and means for preventing oxidation of said substance when the governor is in use.

13. An electric governor comprising, in combination, a rotatable shaft, housing means defining a closed chamber, a substance in said chamber comprising particles freely movable with respect to each other, a plurality of electric terminals, means for impelling said substance and thereby imparting energy thereto with rotation of said shaft, said impelling means being so constructed to impel the particles inwardly toward the axis of said shaft on rotation of the shaft, means for electrically connecting said terminals due to the energy given said substance on a predetermined speed of rotation of said shaft, said housing means excluding air from said chamber for preventing the oxidation of said mercury.

14. An electric governor comprising, in combination, a rotatable shaft, housing means defining a closed chamber, mercury partially occupying said chamber, a pair of electric terminals, means for impelling said mercury and thereby imparting energy thereto with rotation of said shaft, said impelling means being constructed to impel the mercury toward the center of said shaft on rotation of said shaft, means for electrically connecting said terminals due to the energy given said mercury on a predetermined speed of rotation of said shaft, and a substance occupying the rest of said chamber for preventing the oxidation of said mercury.

15. An electric governor comprising, in combination, a rotatable structure, housing means defining a closed chamber and adapted to be rotated by said structure, fluid in said chamber, a plurality of electric contacts, means for impelling said fluid and imparting energy thereto with rotation of said structure, said fluid impelling means being so constructed to impel said fluid inwardly toward the center of said structure on rotation of said structure, and movable means adjacent the center of said structure and adapted to be moved by the pressure of fluid thereon for electrically connecting said contacts when the speed of rotation of said structure has reached a predetermined value.

HAROLD E. CARNAGUA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,031,893 Volk July 9, 1912 1,036,596 Fisher Aug. 27, 1912 1,983,502 Vaughan Dec. 4, 1934 2,081,604 Schaum May 25, 1937 2,366,631 Lambert Jan. 2, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 526,185 Great Britain Sept. 12, 1940 

